Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-17


the superficial feet, you have I'm Hpyroxt-
mate measure Of rtIS pressure. Wilton II.
Foulk was then 'ocAli,'t. aud dez cfhe} the
roof Of the building. Mr ChWntlt,,, after
hearing tht description. said ihs wall could
not have held that root long
II. i. Rice, Jr., architect, testified that he
did not think ths wHll strong eaough; did
not think i competent architect would have
made such plum; did not know Mr..
Jones; he was not an architect, 60 far as
the witness knew.
Thomas b. Hizar, builder md contractor,
thought the wall was not strong enough
he would not have built such II vail unless
the owners took the responsibility; he
would not work on II unless II was properly
braeed.
John b. johnson, carpenter and builder,
who built the county aRmshouse buildings,
considered the Ferry mill wall too thiu for
the roof; the earth was too feet higher on
the inside than on the outside; IL looked
like fresh earth he understood It mad been
put there to strengthen the wall.
James Mitchell, who Is erecting the Will
minRton SaviNks Fund Society's new hdnk
building, conf idare' that this wall WIS not
thick enough he wonld not have buitsnch
q wall.
William MeMeuamin testified that he had
built 800 houses; did not think that this
was Il sufficient wall according To- the
length and hight.
George Ii. fyadau nud Thomas We rlIow
considered the wall an Insufficient aud uu
safe one.
Harry Lape, who was the contractor for
Moir's eannery and the P.,W. Il B dep did
not think this was safe or sufficient wall ;
he would nor have put up that wall unless
he had been ipdemnitied.
On cross-examination he said he had
built walls OF . inches In thickness; had q
wall blow down once; II was IS inches
thick; some Of the walls of Moir's
cannery are 8 inches thick; one
quarter OF wall nearly 80 feet
long and IS feet high was built that way
he required no indemnity for building that
wall; the upper story OF the McIear 4
Kendall factory is 9-lnch wall; he did not
require an indemnity for building that wall.
MIR. Bird brought out the fact that there
were floors In both these buildings and
transverse walls In the cannery.
Architect Chandler was recalled and said
a wall like this would be more secure with
1oots. In answer to Mr.. Lore he said II
the walls had good foundations and were
plumb and still the weight of the roof
would not have crushed the wall down, but
II there was the slightest vibration 1t would
have broken the wall; the wall would have
born three times the perpendicular weight
II perfectly plumb and still
In reply to Mr.. Gray's question, Mr..
Chandler said that n wall 20 feet high would
hold as much weight as one 10 feet high,
provided it was perfectly plumb, but that
tho difficulty in making it perfectly llumb
multiplied US the wall grew higher.
Archibald ). HAea, buider, did not think
the wall was / icb enough as the building
vas constructed.
Peter j. Fora testified that he al re-
'9nlly had Lnilt a large factory, six ssoiies
ligh; the walls of the first story are "a
nch .s thick, tbesecond and third lS Ii ahes,
the fourth and fifth Is inches, ard Il e sixth
story Is of tile.
To Mr.. Lore-Tha lulliing was designed
to hold heavy machinery and heavy torres
OF stock.
Peter McCloskey, II. s Christy, Charles
Jefferls and William G. Pic 'ca all ,onsid
cred tfat the wall was mo- a saie one.
The court here stopped this class ~ OK
aminaiiau, sRying there had been .rough
testimony Of tlls kind introduced for all
the purposes OF the case. Mr., Bird said he
had 10 or IL more witnesses Of this class,
but Il the court Thought it time to stop he
would not call them.
Archibald Given was then recalled and
testified that the effect of floors In tuild
ing is to strengthen the walls.
Charles Dickson testified: I am car-
penter; worked on this building; when ]
WbhA w NbIh lIlD Ntlll NttF u tt'7l
were afterward put up against the wall; The
props were taken away two or three days
before the building felt; the cnmpany took
them away; men were WORKING ON the
building after the props were taken ii way
On cross-exauinatlon--T props were
put there When the wall was or feet high
It is usual thing TO pat up props when a
fd0ss waif Is 5si6g ls1tiit.
John ii. Cadell Is an employe OF the
niunnnnh Atufa Trnn fIDfnT.uF.t- d,
their employ In the summer of 1885; he
took the props away, by direction eirer OF
Mr.. Davis or Mr.. Jones, the day before the
building fell they reached within three or
four bricks of the top of the wall; he helped
put them up; there were 12 or II Of them /;
they we're about 3x4.
To Mr.. Lore-fhe carpenters were there
when the. props wore removed and made
no objection.
A recess was then taken until Saturday
morning.
The case Of Giles against the Diamond
State Iron Company for damages was re-
sumed in the superior court Saturday.
Frank O. Simpson was recalled. He tes-
titled that when he looked over the plans
in MIR. Mendinhall's office he said to Mr.
Mendinhall that the wall looked thin, and
at the same time suggested that instead
of 8 inches it should be made 13 inches
thick. Mr.. Mendinhall said it was strong
enough for the purpose intended, and the
witness made no further objection.
Ferris Giles, the plaintiff, was then
placed on the stand He testified: l am
a cabinet maker by trade; will be "a
years old next May have worked more
or less at cabinet making ever since l
could do any work my father having been
g. L
Il Co. of Philadelphia, refrigerator man
ufactnrers, for over year; in their en-
ploy made from $40 to $25 week at
piece work for eight or nine months be-
fore this accident happened; worked on
this building; went to work on it on
Tuesday morning, the 2sth of July; that
was the day before the accident my at
tention had not been called to the wall
or construction of the building made
no inspection and was not in any way in.
formed of the construction; was employed
by William H. Foulk; worked there the
next day up to o'clock, when the build
ing fell; had gone up on thereof 10 the
ventilator; what first attracted my atten-
tiCn to the fact that the building was
falling was feeling like a boat swing
dying off the next thing knew was
down among lot of lumber with my
head through hole, right over the top
of brick wall was taken out and was
carried into store ACROSS the street; lay
there until DIR. Maui came; he put board
under my ann and tied MY leg to the
board was taken home by George Hat
ton, ex.sergeant of police lived with my
mother nt No. l4lI Harrison street /
named the doctor l wanted, suggesting
ether DIR. Draper, DIR. Kane or DIR.
Lukens; bed E2s carried iptn the sarlor
on the first floor; / lay in that bed tiff
the 18th OF November; then got out of
bed and moved about the house with the
aid of two chairs; went ont on the street
few days afterwari on crutches; walked
on cfutches till April 29th, 1885; my leg
was hurt second time; it was in Oohel
trees store, No 6l7 Market street; my
crutch slipped and ! feel, striking a Gus
pidore; for a few days after that the lump
on the leg grew larger; saw DIR. Pyle
and with lim went to DR. Draper's office;
my leg was then put in box; this Sc cond
fall occurred few days before the 29th of
April; after my leg was put in box l
was in bed till the latter part of June;
then remained pu cIutches till the latter
part of August; one leg is now
shorter than the other; before the acci-
dent | was considered an athlete; had
given some performances as an athlete Z;
before the accident l weighed 154
pounds about a week ago weighed 1877
pounds; / have never weighed more
than this since the aocident never re-
covered my strength. He then described
his inten al sensations after the accident;
was highty for many weeks; had pain
across the small of the back, which hurt
so that he could not allow itS to be
touched for several weeks; that pain
continues more or less all the time; il is
aooravated bv phvsioal axertion. I hava